Charging inlet

Abstract

To provide a charging inlet capable of protecting an insertion port into which a charging connector is inserted.SOLUTION: A charging inlet 1 includes an inlet body 2 that is placed on the vehicle and has an insertion port 21 into which a charging connector is inserted, a flexible annular cover 3 that covers the inlet body 2 so as to surround the inlet body 2 and has an opening 31 through which the connector can pass, a drive mechanism that rotates the cover 3 to move the position of the opening 31, and a control unit that controls the drive mechanism.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging inlet. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is a charging inlet arranged in a vehicle. Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle charging system including a power supply device having a power supply fitting and arranged in a parking space of the vehicle, and a power receiving fitting arranged at the bottom of the vehicle and capable of inserting and removing the power supply fitting in an insertion and removal direction. The power receiving fitting is an inlet arranged at the bottom of the vehicle, and the power supply fitting can be inserted and removed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-172489 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The charging inlet has an insertion port into which a charging connector is inserted. It is desirable to be able to appropriately protect the insertion port of the charging inlet from mud and foreign objects.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a charging inlet capable of protecting an insertion port into which a charging connector is inserted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The charging inlet of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises an inlet body that is placed in a vehicle and has an insertion port into which a charging connector is inserted, a flexible annular cover that surrounds the inlet body, covers the inlet body, and has an opening through which the connector can pass, a drive mechanism that rotates the cover to move the position of the opening, and a control unit that controls the drive mechanism. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The charging inlet according to the present invention includes an inlet body having an insertion port into which a charging connector is inserted, a flexible annular cover that covers the inlet body so as to surround the inlet body and has an opening through which the connector can pass, a drive mechanism that rotates the cover to move the position of the opening, and a control unit that controls the drive mechanism.The charging inlet according to the present invention has the effect of protecting the insertion port into which the charging connector is inserted by the cover. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a charging inlet according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the charging inlet according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the charging inlet according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the inlet body according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a front view of the charging inlet according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the charging inlet according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the charging inlet according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the charging inlet according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, a charging inlet according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. In addition, components in the following embodiments include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] [Embodiment] An embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 8. The embodiment relates to a charging inlet. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the charging inlet of the embodiment, Fig. 2 is a side view of the charging inlet of the embodiment, Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the charging inlet according to the embodiment, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an inlet body according to the embodiment, Fig. 5 is a front view of the charging inlet according to the embodiment, Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the charging inlet according to the embodiment, Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the charging inlet according to the embodiment, and Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the charging inlet according to the embodiment. Fig. 6 shows a cross section taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 5.

[0011] FIG. 1 shows a charging inlet 1 according to this embodiment. The charging inlet 1 is a fitting device for charging that is disposed in a vehicle 200. As shown in FIG. 2, the charging inlet 1 of this embodiment is disposed under the vehicle 200 and faces the road surface. As shown in FIG. 2, a connector 310 is inserted into the charging inlet 1. The connector 310 is a connector for charging that is provided in a vehicle charging device 300 that is disposed on a floor portion 100. The vehicle charging device 300 has a movement mechanism 320 that supports the connector 310. The vehicle charging device 300 moves the connector 310 by the movement mechanism 320 and inserts the connector 310 into the charging inlet 1.

[0012] In the following description, the direction in which connector 310 is inserted into charging inlet 1 is referred to as a "first direction L." First direction L is, for example, the front-rear direction of vehicle 200. A direction perpendicular to each of first direction L and up-down direction Z is referred to as a "second direction W." Second direction W is, for example, the width direction of vehicle 200.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the charging inlet 1 has an inlet body 2, a cover 3, a drive mechanism 4, and a control unit 50. As shown in FIG. 3, the inlet body 2 has a cylindrical fitting portion 20 that fits with a connector 310. The fitting portion 20 has a square cylindrical shape extending in a first direction L. The fitting portion 20 is formed of, for example, a metal. As shown in FIG. 1, the fitting portion 20 has an insertion opening 21 into which the connector 310 is inserted. The insertion opening 21 opens toward the first direction L. The shape of the insertion opening 21 in this embodiment is a substantially elliptical shape having a major axis in the second direction W.

[0014] A terminal for charging and a terminal for communication are housed inside fitting portion 20. These terminals are connected to terminals of connector 310. When connector 310 is fitted into fitting portion 20, vehicle charging device 300 and the battery of vehicle 200 are connected so as to be capable of charging.

[0015] 3, the fitting portion 20 has a top surface 20u facing upward. The fitting portion 20 is fixed to the vehicle 200 so that the top surface 20u faces the underside of the vehicle 200. A gap for the cover 3 is provided between the top surface 20u and the vehicle 200. The inlet body 2 has fixing portions 22 fixed to the vehicle 200. The fixing portions 22 are disposed at both ends of the fitting portion 20 in the second direction W.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 4, the inlet body 2 has a lid member 23 capable of closing the insertion opening 21. FIG. 4 shows the lid member 23 in an open state that opens the insertion opening 21. The lid member 23 in the open state is located above the insertion opening 21. The lid member 23 has a rotation shaft extending in the second direction W. As shown in FIG. 3, the inlet body 2 has an actuator 5 that rotates the lid member 23. The actuator 5 has, for example, a motor connected to the rotation shaft of the lid member 23. The actuator 5 may have a reduction gear or the like. The actuator 5 is controlled by a control unit 50. The control unit 50 opens and closes the lid member 23 in response to a command from the vehicle 200.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 4, the fitting portion 20 has a lower surface 20d facing downward. The fitting portion 20 is fixed to the vehicle 200 so that the lower surface 20d faces the road surface or the floor surface. The lower surface 20d is located below the insertion opening 21. The insertion opening 21 is located between the top surface 20u and the lower surface 20d in the up-down direction Z. The lower surface 20d is a flat surface on which the cover 3 can slide, and extends in the first direction L.

[0018] The charging inlet 1 has a scraper 6 that scrapes off dirt adhering to the cover 3. The scraper 6 is disposed below the lower surface 20d and faces the lower surface 20d in the vertical direction Z. A gap is provided between the lower surface 20d and the scraper 6, allowing the cover 3 to pass through. The scraper 6 comes into contact with the cover 3 that passes between the scraper 6 and the lower surface 20d, and removes mud and foreign matter from the cover 3.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, the cover 3 is an endless member formed in a ring shape. The cover 3 is flexible and can be deformed to fit the shape of the inlet body 2. The cover 3 is impact resistant and abrasion resistant, and can protect the inlet body 2. The cover 3 may be waterproof or stain resistant. The cover 3 may be water repellent. The cover 3 may be a rubber or resin belt, a cloth product formed by weaving fibers, or other products.

[0020] The cover 3 has an opening 31. The opening 31 penetrates the cover 3 and communicates the external space of the cover 3 with the internal space surrounded by the cover 3. The shape of the opening 31 in this embodiment is rectangular. The shape and size of the opening 31 are set so that a connector 310 of the vehicle charging device 300 can pass through it.

[0021] The opening 31 has a first end 31a and a second end 31b. The first end 31a and the second end 31b are ends of the opening 31 in the rotation direction in which the cover 3 rotates. The first end 31a and the second end 31b are opposite sides of the rectangular opening 31 and face each other in the first direction L. The cover 3 has a shielding portion 32. The shielding portion 32 is a portion that covers and conceals the insertion port 21 of the inlet body 2. The illustrated shielding portion 32 is a portion in the vicinity of the opening 31 and does not have the opening 31. The shielding portion 32 of this embodiment is adjacent to the second end 31b in the rotation direction of the cover 3.

[0022] The drive mechanism 4 is disposed in the inlet body 2. As shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the drive mechanism 4 has an actuator 40, a first pulley 41, a second pulley 42, and a third pulley 43. The actuator 40 is a power source that rotates the cover 3, and is, for example, a motor. The first pulley 41, the second pulley 42, and the third pulley 43 support the cover 3 rotatably. The axial direction of the first pulley 41, the second pulley 42, and the third pulley 43 is the second direction W.

[0023] The first pulley 41, the second pulley 42, and the third pulley 43 are disposed with the fitting portion 20 therebetween. More specifically, the first pulley 41 and the third pulley 43 are disposed on a first side L1 in the first direction L with respect to the fitting portion 20. The second pulley 42 is disposed on a second side L2 in the first direction L with respect to the fitting portion 20. The first pulley 41 and the second pulley 42 face each other in the first direction L with the top surface 20u between them. The insertion opening 21 is disposed at an end of the fitting portion 20 on the second side L2.

[0024] The first pulley 41 is a drive pulley connected to the actuator 40. The second pulley 42 is a driven pulley and a tension pulley that applies tension to the cover 3. A spring applies a biasing force F1 in a first direction L away from the first pulley 41 to the second pulley 42. The third pulley 43 is a driven pulley and a guide pulley that guides the cover 3 to the lower surface 20d of the fitting portion 20. As shown in FIG. 6, the third pulley 43 is disposed below the first pulley 41. The third pulley 43 guides the cover 3 along the lower surface 20d of the fitting portion.

[0025] The actuator 40 is controlled by a control unit 50. The control unit 50 moves the cover 3 to the open position and the closed position by the drive mechanism 4. Here, the position of the cover 3 is the rotational position of the cover 3 when the cover 3 rotates while being supported by the pulleys 41, 42, and 43. The position of the cover 3 can be specified by the position of the opening 31 in the rotational direction.

[0026] 1, 5, and 6 show the cover 3 in the open position. In the open position, the cover 3 faces the opening 31 to the insertion port 21 of the fitting portion 20. The opening 31 faces the insertion port 21 in the first direction L, and opens the insertion path of the connector 310 to the insertion port 21. As shown in FIG. 5, the opening width Wd1 of the opening 31 in the second direction W is larger than the width of the connector 310 and larger than the width of the insertion port 21. Therefore, the opening 31 of the cover 3 can open the entire insertion port 21 to the outside space. The connector 310 passes through the opening 31 while moving along the first direction L and is inserted into the insertion port 21.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, when the cover 3 is in the open position, the first end 31a of the opening 31 is located above the insertion port 21, and the second end 31b is located below the insertion port 21. That is, the opening 31 opens the portion from the top surface 20u to the bottom surface 20d of the fitting portion 20 toward the external space. As shown in FIG. 6, the first end 31a of the opening 31 is retreated to the first side L1 from the second pulley 42. Therefore, when the connector 310 is inserted into the insertion port 21, the first end 31a and the connector 310 are unlikely to interfere with each other. In addition, the second end 31b is retreated to the first side L1 from the end 20e of the bottom surface 20d. Therefore, when the connector 310 is inserted into the insertion port 21, the second end 31b and the connector 310 are unlikely to interfere with each other.

[0028] The drive mechanism 4 has a detection means for detecting the position of the cover 3. The detection means detects, for example, the first end 31a and the second end 31b of the opening 31. However, the position of the detection target on the cover 3 is not limited to the first end 31a and the second end 31b. The means for detecting the rotational position of the cover 3 is, for example, an optical sensor or a switch. The drive mechanism 4 controls the operation of the actuator 40 based on the detection result of the detection means.

[0029] When vehicle charging device 300 fits connector 310 into charging inlet 1 to perform charging, control unit 50 moves cover 3 to the open position. During charging, control unit 50 also causes actuator 5 to open lid member 23. This opens insertion opening 21, making it possible for connector 310 to be inserted into fitting portion 20.

[0030] When charging is completed and the connector 310 is detached from the fitting portion 20, the control portion 50 moves the cover 3 to the shielding position and closes the lid member 23. FIGS. 7 and 8 show the cover 3 in the shielding position. When the cover 3 is in the shielding position, the shielding portion 32 faces the insertion opening 21 of the inlet body 2, as shown in FIG. 8. The shielding portion 32 faces the insertion opening 21 in the first direction L, and covers and conceals the insertion opening 21 from the outside space. The insertion opening 21 is further closed by the lid member 23. In other words, the insertion opening 21 is protected by a double structure of the lid member 23 and the cover 3.

[0031] 7, when the cover 3 is in the shielding position, the opening 31 faces the top surface 20u of the fitting portion 20. In other words, the opening 31 is accommodated in the gap between the top surface 20u and the body of the vehicle 200.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 8, when the cover 3 is in the shielding position, the shielding portion 32 is inclined so as to face obliquely downward. The shielding portion 32 extends from the second pulley 42 to the lower surface 20d of the fitting portion 20 in a direction inclined with respect to the first direction L. As shown in FIG. 6, in the charging inlet 1 of the present embodiment, the second pulley 42 is located on the second side L2 with respect to the end 20e of the lower surface 20d. Therefore, the cover 3 is inclined so as to face toward the first side L1 as it approaches the end 20e from the second pulley 42. Since the shielding portion 32 is inclined so as to face downward, mud and foreign matter attached to the shielding portion 32 are easily peeled off from the cover 3. The mud and foreign matter remaining attached to the shielding portion 32 are scraped off by the scraper 6 when the cover 3 moves to the open position.

[0033] In the charging inlet 1 of the present embodiment, when the cover 3 is in the covering position, the lower surface 20d of the fitting portion 20 is covered and hidden by the cover 3. Therefore, mud and foreign matter are less likely to adhere to the lower surface 20d. In addition, the cover 3 covers the lower surface 20d and can protect the fitting portion 20.

[0034] As described above, the charging inlet 1 of this embodiment has the inlet body 2, the flexible annular cover 3, the drive mechanism 4, and the control unit 50. The inlet body 2 is disposed on the vehicle 200, and has the insertion opening 21 into which the charging connector 310 is inserted. The cover 3 covers the inlet body 2 so as to surround the inlet body 2, and has an opening 31 through which the connector 310 can pass. The drive mechanism 4 rotates the cover 3 to move the position of the opening 31. The control unit 50 controls the drive mechanism 4. According to the charging inlet 1 of this embodiment, the insertion opening 21 can be protected by covering it with the cover 3.

[0035] The control unit 50 of this embodiment moves the cover 3 to an open position and a closed position using the drive mechanism 4. The open position is a position where the opening 31 faces the insertion port 21 to allow insertion of the connector 310 into the insertion port 21. The closed position is a position where the insertion port 21 is covered and hidden by the shielding portion 32 of the cover 3. The shielding portion 32 is a portion of the cover 3 that does not have the opening 31. The charging inlet 1 of this embodiment can protect the insertion port 21 by positioning the cover 3 in the shielding position.

[0036] Charging inlet 1 of the present embodiment has cover member 23 capable of closing insertion opening 21, and actuator 5 that opens and closes insertion opening 21 by rotating cover member 23. By closing insertion opening 21 with cover member 23, protection of insertion opening 21 is more reliably achieved.

[0037] The charging inlet 1 of the present embodiment has a scraper 6 that removes foreign matter adhering to the cover 3. The scraper 6 can prevent the accumulation of foreign matter and mud on the cover 3.

[0038] The shape and arrangement of the opening 31 in the cover 3 are not limited to those exemplified in the embodiment. The shape and arrangement of the drive mechanism 4 are not limited to those exemplified in the embodiment. The shape and arrangement of the insertion port 21 are not limited to those exemplified in the embodiment.

[0039] Charging inlet 1 does not have to have lid member 23. For example, if cover 3 can sufficiently prevent mud or foreign matter from entering insertion opening 21, lid member 23 may be omitted. Note that if charging inlet 1 has lid member 23, lid member 23 and cover 3 may be driven by a single actuator. In this case, lid member 23 and cover 3 can be operated in conjunction with each other.

[0040] The contents disclosed in the above embodiments can be implemented in appropriate combinations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1: Charging inlet 2: inlet body, 3: cover, 4: drive mechanism, 5: actuator 20: Fitting part, 20d: Bottom surface, 20u: Top surface, 21: Insertion port, 22: Fixed part 23: Lid component 31: Opening, 31a: First end, 31b: Second end 32: Shielding part 40: actuator; 41: first pulley; 42: second pulley 43: Third pulley 50: Control unit 300: vehicle charging device, 310: connector, 320: moving mechanism L: First direction, W: Second direction, Z: Vertical direction

Claims

1. an inlet body that is disposed in a vehicle and has an insertion port into which a charging connector is inserted; a flexible annular cover that covers the inlet body so as to surround the inlet body and has an opening through which the connector can pass; a drive mechanism that rotates the cover to move the position of the opening; A control unit that controls the drive mechanism; A charging inlet comprising:

2. The control unit causes the drive mechanism to move the cover to an open position and a closed position, the open position is a position in which the opening faces the insertion port to allow insertion of the connector into the insertion port, The shielding position is a position where the insertion opening is covered and hidden by a shielding portion that is a portion of the cover that does not have the opening. The charging inlet according to claim 1 .

3. A cover member capable of closing the insertion opening; an actuator that rotates the cover member to open and close the insertion opening; Equipped The charging inlet according to claim 1 .

4. A scraper is provided to remove foreign matter adhering to the cover. The charging inlet according to claim 1 .

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